FACT SHEET

The Koshland Science Museum of the National Academy of Sciences invites teens and adults to interact with the issues in a thought-provoking setting. Whether exploring on your own or with friends, use science to solve problems and engage in stimulating conversations.

Interactive exhibits invite visitors to explore how science supports decision making and to consider how small choices can make a big difference for their lives and communities.

Many members of the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, and other experts volunteered their time to the development of these exhibits.

Current Exhibits in the Museum

Earth Lab: Degrees of Change. Learn about the impacts of climate change and explore how people and communities are mitigating and adapting to the impacts. Put yourself in the role of a policy maker in a unique simulation game. Identify priorities, evaluate tradeoffs, and decide how to respond. Employ strategies to lower carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to a level that will reduce the impact of climate change. Decide which actions align with the priorities you value and compare your plans with other players.

Life Lab. Explore the science of healthy living and learn how your brain works. Take a spin on a driving simulator to experience the effects of distracted driving. Play a game to learn how the choices you make impact your brain. Investigate how our nutritional requirements change throughout our lives. Make a video and share your stories with others. See and hear what it is like to grow older. These experiences and more await you in the Life Lab.

Idea Lab. Explore resilience in this multimedia space where the museum is experimenting with new approaches in collaboration with visitors. What actions make our communities more resilient to the hazards we face? How can you engage with your community to become a part of this effort? How can you measure your community’s progress in becoming more resilient? Immerse yourself in video clips, interactive games, and puzzles that will help you consider these important questions. We want your feedback about how these activities help you understand resilience and how it relates to your life and community.

Online Exhibits

Interactive online exhibits provide high quality resources for educators, students, and the public.

Explore Infectious Disease: Evolving Challenges to Human Health to learn about our microbial world. Discover the harmful and helpful role microbes play and learn how to evaluate information that affects your health. Explore how energy usage has changed both regionally and globally in Lights at Night, which uses satellite data to identify changes over the past decade. Identify the causes of the lack of safe drinking water and identify potential solutions for your community with Safe Drinking Water is Essential.

The Koshland Science Museum offers free field trips for groups organized by middle schools and high schools in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region. Facilitated tours focus on either the Earth Lab or Life Lab exhibit. Worksheets are available for college students and groups that wish to explore on their own. Learn more about the museum’s education programs on ourgroup visit page.

Location

The Koshland Science Museum is located at 525 E St., N.W., in the Penn Quarter neighborhood of downtown Washington, D.C. The museum is within two blocks of the Gallery-Place Chinatown and Judiciary Square stops on the Red, Green, and Yellow lines of Metro, on multiple bus routes, and near bike share services. Located just three blocks from the National Mall and several blocks from the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, the Koshland is close to many museums, restaurants, and other attractions.

Museum Hours

The museum is open daily from 10 a.m.-6 p.m., except Tuesdays and Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day. Please check the museum calendar for the latest schedule, including hours for evening programs.

Admission

Admission is $7 for adults and $4 for students and active military. Admission proceeds support the museum's education and public programs.